Let The Smokescreens Begin
By author
With the draft quickly approaching, NFL teams have begun their annual meetings and private workouts with NFL hopefuls, the Miami Dolphins are no different. As they have done each year under this regime, the Miami Dolphins are hosting players of all sorts, ones they may draft, ones they know other teams want to draft, ones they have no shot of drafting!
The list of visits and workouts for the Miami Dolphins over the next few weeks is long, and it includes plenty of quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and offensive linemen, with a few defensive prospects sprinkled in here and there. Like always, this regime is doing their ‘due dilligence’ when it comes to the draft. However, with the labor issues and uncertainty of how much longer this staff will stay in place, this draft becomes the most important one this regime has had. I’m also very interested to see how well Jeff Ireland does now that the Tuna is out, I’ve always wondered which picks were his and which were Ireland’s. So let’s take a look at who Miami has on their radar and let the smokescreens begin!
The list of quarterbacks includes Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick, Christian Ponder, Ryan Mallett, Andy Dalton, and Tyrod Taylor. Out of this group, it would seem that Cam Newton is surely a smokescreen. Kaepernick and Mallett are fan favorites, but I’m not too high on them. Kaepernick is a bigger version of Pat White, and Mallett is a bigger version of Chad Henne. Andy Dalton and Christian Ponder could be potential picks for the Dolphins, but do you see them taking the starting job away from Henne? Tyrod Taylor is a bit of a surprise, but once again, I don’t see him taking any playing time away from Henne. I know QB is a position of need for Miami and they have said that publicly, but if they do take one it won’t be early, and most of the players on this list will be gone well before Miami has a chance to draft one of them.
The running backs include Mario Fannin, Mark Ingram, Mikel Leshoure, Dion Lewis, Ryan Williams, and Bilal Powell. I could see Miami taking any of these backs for various reasons. The only one on this list that I don’t see going to Miami is Ingram, mainly because I don’t think they will use their first round pick to get him, and he will be gone before they pick again. Fannin is the back I like most out of this group, he’s big AND fast, and could be used well in the short yardage and goal line situations. He should also be available in the later rounds of the draft.
At wide receiver, Miami has plans to meet with some less popular names in Denarius Moore of Tennessee and Ricardo Lockette of Fort Valley State. Both of these receivers fit the speed the Dolphins are looking for. I’m confident Miami will take a speedy receiver in the draft, but I’m not sure any of these two will be the one. I would love to see Miami take Edmund Gates out of Abilene Christian, he fits the speed Miami is looking for. I see him being similar to Johnny Knox of Chicago.
Miami also has plans of visiting with a few offensive linemen as well. With coach Tony Sparano stating the Vernon Carey will indeed stay at RT, the list of needs shrinks to guard and center. Mike Pouncey has been on Miami’s radar since the end of the season, and I would not be surprised to see him taken with their first pick. Other potential prospects include JJ Watt, Will Rackley, and Orlando Franklin. Miami will surely grab one of these prospect should they choose to not take Pouncey in the first round.
What all this boils down to is absolutely nothing. Miami is simply playing the same tune the other teams across the NFL are playing. I remember last year, Miami was visiting frequently with Sergio Kindle and Earl Thomas out of Texas, I truly believed they were going to take one of them with the first pick last year, only to hear the name Jared Odrick announced after Miami traded down in the first round. Kindle was still available and they passed on him. Odrick was a shocker to me, as I’m sure this years first pick will be. No matter who Miami takes, all we fans can do is have faith in who Miami takes, support him, and hope for the best. It would be ignorant to question any of the draft picks until we see how well they play.
Phins Up!
BEL